Choosing A'levels - what to do for law degree

[Okki]

DD is currently choosing a 6th form/ college. She currently wants to study law with French at Uni, but we know this could change.

Her preferred A levels are

French
English literature
Music
History
Law
Psychology

Obviously she can't do 6. French she has to do, but she's bilingual so we have been advised by uni admissions she should do 4 A'levels as French will be regarded as the easy option for her.

She hadn't previously considered doing Music as an A'level but is now wondering if it would give her an edge over another humanities subject as it would show a different skill set.

I haven't a clue. I didn't go to university and don't really know how to advise her. DH went to uni in France where its all different.

She's predicted 8/9 for her GCSE Literature, history and Music. She has a 9 for French. She's also on the Oxbridge pathway at school, but we know the chances are slim to non existent for her to get in, but she would like an RG uni.

Can anyone give me any tips for how to advise her. I will ask school/ colleges as well, but some real life experiences would be good too. Thank you.

Not sure any law degree covers mooting.

That's more something you do via a society (open to all) or competitions they run with training.

I’d be very surprised if it didn’t as I’ve never been to any Law teaching Uni that didn’t in 35 years in academic life

I just finished a law degree (Russell group) and no mooting done at all as part of the degree. Could do outside the degree as an extra if you wanted leading up to competition. But definitely not required at all. I don't remember seeing it as part of any of the 5 degrees I applied for back in 2019.

DD did a competition with her Inn of Court. Mooring is not that important! Getting a scholarship to cover future training fees is!!! Or employment which does the same.

This

In my day (at university in the early 90s) mooting was done at law school after university. None on the degree itself for my university

French English and History - solid academic A levels. Choose something she will enjoy for the fourth. Not law - it won't help with her application or degree. Does she have the practical music skills to do well on the performance element of a Music A level?

The great thing about music is that you can do it without doing the A level. Do it for pleasure. You don’t need 4 A levels. Music is great for the soul and certainly makes you happy. Schools always want musicians!

I did English literature, history and german.

My lawyer children or almost lawyer children (I have 4, 2 of whom do not qualify until 2024) all did at least two traditional hard (facilitating) subjects.

It would be better not to do law which is on the list above.
Of those on the list I would do English literature and history (as they have the skills needed for law, essays, reading a lot etc) and one other which ideally would be French in my view but if not that then perhaps music?

One of my children had a hard choice in upper sixht as to which of his subjects to drop - he did geography, history, economics and music AS levels (people did AS levels in lower sixth in those days). It was a hard decision but he gave up music and kept on economics which I think was the right decision for him.

I took part in moots during my law degree which were arranged by the law faculty. It is not essential but I am sure things like that, work experience, volunteering in years 2 and 3 in the law centre helped.

Also remember you do not have to do a law degree first for law unless you want to do so. I did and am glad I did and it removes (even under the new SQE system for solicitors) the issue (albeit not requirement ) of a law conversion.

It’s certainly cheaper to do a law degree if they know at that stage that they want to do law.

I did German, economics, maths and law but law was an add on and I went to a crappy tertiary college where barely anyone went on to university and I had little guidance. Plus I was doing a management science degree and not a law degree (but went on to do a conversion)

DC should do a first degree in law if they really want to. My DD didn’t and speaks two languages as a result. That made her happy and fulfilled. Luckily lawyers don’t have to choose at 17. Not doing a conversion is cheaper but you might miss out on other skills by doing law. Wholly depends on the individual.